


A Time of Change

by RedParrot



Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Gen, M/M, Omega Verse, Oppression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:01:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24303313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedParrot/pseuds/RedParrot
Summary: The family eagerly await the return of their children. But will it be an easy transition? Will the boys, who have always seen women as the enemy, be at ease living with a woman?
Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738087
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story will introduce Sammy and Jamie's children.

'Can you remember being in the home?'

Jamie looked across at Sammy who was staring at the barred gate in front of them. Beyond the gate lay the building that made up the infant and junior Alpha home where their son resided. 

'Not the first one,' he replied 'I remembered the second one when I was a teenager. Although the memories are not great.'

Sammy squeezed his hand.

'It's very regimented. I think it was like National Service or a... borstal.'

Sammy smiled at Jamie's words. 

'Have you been reading my history books?' asked Sammy.

Jamie smiled, 'I talked to Clive a while ago, he said that's what it sounded like.'

'Sounds awful,' said Sammy. 'And I thought the Omega home was bad.'

The gate clunked making Sammy jump. It slowly started to slide open. A small courtyard with plain brick walls separated them from the buildings. There was nothing welcoming about the place, thought Sammy.

'I think this place will be friendlier,' said Jamie. 'The older Alphas are stronger, and they have their first couple of ruts when they are in the second home. The homes have to be secure for the older Alphas. I'm sure there were more women at my second home.'

They walked through the open gate towards the double doors that led to the reception area. The Alpha home where Henry had been living was a couple of hours drive from their new home. It was situated on a run-down estate. The high walls may not have just been to keep the young Alphas in. The area was not salubrious, they had seen piles of litter and the odd homeless person sleeping in corners.

Sammy was glad it was just the two of them that had gone to collect Henry. He had been a little worried about leaving Rachel and Isabelle behind. After seeing the area, he was glad he had not brought them with him and Daniel had assured him the twins would be fine. 

They had been fed just before Sammy and Jamie left and would have solid food for their next meal. Their weaning was going well. Sammy was already only feeding his daughters once a day. They were growing fast. Sammy disliked how fast the babies grew although at least now he was not having to prepare himself for losing them.

Despite his worry for the twins Sammy also wanted to be there to collect his son. Little Henry was two and a half years old and Sammy was keen to see how he had changed. He would be walking, talking and starting to learn about life.

Children grew up so quickly to start with. Clive had described their slower development before the evolutionary leap. In some ways, Sammy wished they still took the same amount of time to grow. But then he would struggle during his heats with needy babies nearby. He guessed it made sense.

The double doors swung open as they approached. They both paused when the noise of boys playing hit them. Shouts and excited screams were coming from further inside the complex of buildings. Both men grinned as they looked at  
each other.

'I'd forgotten that sound,' said Jamie as they ventured into the reception hall.

A chuckle behind them made them look around.

'You are not the only ones to be affected by that noise.'

The young Alpha, probably in his early twenties, was dressed in trousers made of tough wearing fabric and a polo shirt embroidered with the word 'Supervisor'.

'I'm Matt,' said the supervisor. 'You must be here for Henry. He's the only boy being picked up today. He's been told but I don't know if he really understands. Most of them haven't. He's lived here long enough now to think this is where he's always lived.'

Matt noticed Sammy's look of distress.

'But... they all seem to adapt pretty quickly. We've followed up on the other children and babies that have been repatriated and they're all adjusted well. I'm sure Henry will be fine.'

Matt ushered them into a small office. They sat opposite the supervisor as he tapped at a keyboard, unlocking a computer.

'Now, I've just got a couple of bits of paperwork for you to sign and I'll take you to the meeting room. The manager will need to officially hand him over, but that's just a formality, she'll sign the form then leave.'

Matt paused and looked at them both.

'She's a bit grumpy about what's happening. Some of their jobs are at risk. But she'll literally be in and out. She won't be there when you meet Henry.'

‘What’s he like?’ asked Sammy.

Matt smiled, ‘to me he’s like most of the other boys. He’s a good lad. Runs around has tons of energy, is a typical young Alpha male. Obviously, his education has been minimal. He’s still too young to be at proper lessons. He understands right and wrong, he knows he should do as he’s told by the supervisors…’

‘What?’ asked Jamie, picking up on Matt’s hesitation.

‘And he’s scared of the women. They’re all scared of the women. I don’t think any of us really understand that women are the same as us until we’re older do we?’

Sammy shook his head, remembering his first few heats in the home he had lived in and the way the women treated him and the other Omega.

‘You live with a progressive woman, don’t you?’ asked Matt. ‘You may find he struggles a bit with her. The other boys that have gone to live with families that include or associate with women have reported that it takes a while for the lads to get used to friendly women.’

‘Meg’s already said, she’ll make sure she’s not alone with him until he’s used to her. She wants him to feel safe so one of the family will be with him whenever she’s around.’

Matt nodded his approval, ‘that’s worked for other families. I’m sure he’ll learn quickly enough that they’re not all bad.’

Matt tapped at the keyboard for a few seconds before clicking the mouse and looking at the printer as it whirled into life. Two sheets of paper appeared. Matt handed them to Sammy and Jamie.

‘Read those and sign the bottom of both copies. It’s basically just saying that if you find that you don’t want to keep Henry any longer you need to return him. I know that won’t happen. None of the lads has been brought back so far.’

After a few seconds Sammy sensed that Jamie was feeling awkward, he looked at his mate who looked a little embarrassed. 

‘I don’t understand some of the words,’ said Jamie quietly. 

Matt reached out and rested his hand over Jamie’s wrist, ‘it’s OK,’ he said. ‘You’re not the first Alpha who has struggled with this. I think the lawyers deliberately put in words that we don’t usually come across. I felt about two inches tall when I had to ask the manager to explain them to me. What are you stuck on?’

As Jamie and the friendly supervisor went through the document together Sammy followed where they were on his copy. He knew he had a better grasp of reading than his mate, but they had never come across a situation where it had been so cruelly highlighted. Clive had told them that before the evolutionary leap children who struggled with reading and writing were offered extra help. Since the leap, only the women were fully educated. Males were supposed to concentrate on breeding. But they all knew it was really to help the women keep the men in their place.

They each signed the papers before Matt picked up the phone.

‘Ms Schofield,’ he said. ‘Can you come to approve Henry’s collection please.’

There was a pause before Matt nodded.

‘Thank you.’

He hung up the phone.

‘She’ll be here in a minute.’

Sammy and Jamie looked at each other. Sammy felt nervous about meeting his son, Jamie took his hand and smiled.

‘It’ll be fine. We’ll be fine,’ Jamie said.

The door was pushed open. A tall woman wearing an expensive suit walked in. She glanced at Sammy and Jamie before looking at Matt who indicated the papers on the desk. She leaned over and signed each paper before turning back to look at them again.

‘I hope you appreciate what you are doing. Henry would have been well looked after here and been taught what was expected of him. You are taking him from this safe environment and putting him in danger.’

She glared at them for a couple of seconds before walking from the room.

Matt shook his head with a sigh, ‘see what I mean. Grumpy. But this is a good thing. You must both remember how scary it was when we were put with packs and basically told to have babies, or we’d be punished. These children are going to grow up respecting each other.’

Matt gave Sammy one of the copies of the document.

‘There, Henry is officially your responsibility now.’

Sammy felt a fresh wave of nervousness wash over him. He could not work out if he was excited or scared to be seeing his first child again. As he got to his feet, he realised he was shaking a little. Jamie took his hand as they followed the supervisor along a corridor to the next room.

‘I’ll come in with you and introduce you, he knows me. I’ll stay for a few minutes until he’s settled then slip out.’ Matt paused for a moment. ‘When you’re ready just leave the way you came in.’

Sammy could tell Matt was having to hide his emotions.

‘Thank you for looking after him for us,’ said Jamie who had picked up on the young Alpha’s sadness. 

Matt nodded and smiled before taking a deep breath and pushing the door open. 

The room had a few posters on the walls, pictures of animals and their names written in clear letters underneath. There were a few small chairs around a low table with crayons and paper scattered across it.

A blond-haired boy wearing dark brown corduroy dungarees and a red polo shirt was sitting at the table busy dragging a red crayon across a piece of paper. The scribble of colours on the paper did not resemble anything in particular but it probably looked like something to the small boy. 

Sammy and Jamie stood just inside the door; they were not sure what to do. Henry was absorbed with his drawing and had not looked up at them when they entered. Sammy felt Jamie’s hand tighten around his fingers. He knew his mate was probably getting the same overwhelming feelings. Sammy wanted to gather the small boy up and hold him tightly, never to let him go again. Memories of the horrible night when Henry, then still a baby, was snatched from his arms rushed through his mind. 

Matt crouched next to Henry.

‘That’s good,’ he said, indicating the colourful scribbles.

The boy smiled at the supervisor and pushed the paper towards him.

‘Present,’ he said.

‘For me?’

Henry nodded enthusiastically.

‘Who taught you that word?’

Henry smiled, ‘Charlie.’

Henry finally looked at Sammy and Jamie. Sammy noticed Henry’s spark of recognition. The feeling of wanting to hold his son washed over him afresh. Henry pushed his chair back and stood up, he took a couple of tentative steps forward as Sammy knelt on the floor and reached out his hands. Henry rushed forward and wrapped his arms around the Omega, clinging onto him tightly. Sammy held his son close for a couple of seconds before he realised that they had both been enveloped in a hug. Jamie was knelt next to them, his arms encircling them. 

He was not sure how long they clung to each other; Sammy never wanted to move.

When they eventually pushed apart Sammy realised, he had tears running down his cheeks. Henry reached up and brushed them away.

‘Going now,’ said Henry.

‘Yes, Henry,’ replied Jamie, his voice choked with emotion. ‘We’re going now. Is that OK?’

Henry nodded slowly. Sammy realised the little boy had slipped his hand into his.

They turned to go; Matt had already disappeared. A small yellow backpack was sitting by the door with the word ‘Henry’ written across it in black marker pen. Jamie picked it up, finding a small folder underneath, he flicked through it.

‘It’s some of those leaflets about child development and contact numbers and some notes about Henry.’

‘I’m Henry,’ said Henry.

‘Yes, you are,’ replied Jamie as he hooked the small bag over his arm and reached out his hand to his son. 

Henry reached up and took Jamie’s hand.

‘I’m…’ Jamie paused for a moment. ‘I’m your Alpha. I’m Jamie.’

Sammy could feel the protectiveness that Jamie had for them both. 

Henry looked at Sammy, ‘Omega,’ he said and squeezed Sammy’s hand.

‘Sammy,’ said Sammy pointing at himself.

They had wondered what they should call themselves around the children. They knew that before the leap the female child-bearers were referred to as ‘mummy’ and the males as ‘daddy’ amongst other names. They had decided that as families were not made up in the same manner as before they would just use their given names to save confusion, particularly for Jamie and Daniel.

They walked back along the corridor towards the entrance. Sammy glanced through the glass of the door to the supervisor's office. Matt was watching them with a broad smile, he nodded to Sammy who smiled back. 

Sammy looked down at Henry who seemed quite at ease walking with them. The biology had kicked in. Their primal senses had linked up. Henry knew he could trust his Alpha and Omega.

As they walked across the walled courtyard towards the gate Henry slowed down a little, Sammy could tell his son felt apprehensive.

‘It’s OK Henry,’ he said. ‘We’ll look after you.’

Henry nodded slowly; his eyes wide as the gate slid open. As they stepped onto the street Henry stepped a little closer to Sammy. He felt the panic beginning to grow in the little boy.

Jamie stopped and crouched down, ‘Henry,’ he said quietly. ‘You’re safe with us.’

Jamie glanced up at Sammy, they had both felt the fear dissipate. With both his parents reassuring him the little boy had quickly calmed down. 

Jamie lifted up the car keys, he pointed at the top button, ‘press that,’ he said.

Henry pushed the button, causing the headlights to flash and the doors to unlock on their car. Henry giggled.

‘Red car,’ he said and pointed at their car.

‘That’s right,’ said Sammy as they walked towards the car. ‘Jamie’s going to drive us home.’

Henry looked impressed and a little excited. Sammy was pleased Henry had overcome his initial fear of the outside world. He knew they had a long way to go to acclimatise the little boy to life outside the home, but they hoped that his young age would make it an easy transition.

A~B~O

Sammy was sitting with his son in the back of the car. They had carefully buckled Henry into the child seat and made sure he was comfortable. He had nodded and smiled. As Jamie had pulled the car away from the curb Henry had looked at the home and waved at the building. 

‘Bye, bye,’ he had said.

Sammy could tell his son felt sad. He supposed the little boy was starting to realise he would not be returning. The Omega hoped Henry would not struggle to adapt to his new life.

Henry had spent most of his time looking out of the window or chattering to them about things that did not make sense. Both Sammy and Jamie had gone along with the conversation and seemed to be keeping Henry at ease.

‘Need a wee, please,’ Henry said suddenly.

‘Right now?’ asked Jamie as he looked for somewhere to stop.

Henry nodded, ‘very soon,’ he said as he presses his hand over his crotch.

‘There’s a big park just along here, I know they have some toilets there. We can have a little walk as well if you like.’

Sammy looked at Henry, who’s slightly worried expression changed to one of excitement. 

‘I always remember being really happy when we were allowed out in the field at my home,’ said Jamie.

Sammy shrugged, ‘we weren't allowed out much.’

At the time he had not really thought about why he and the other Omega were not allowed to go far. It was not until he realised how important they were as the only sex capable of bearing children that the lack of freedom made sense. They were protected for the good of the species, not necessarily for their own wellbeing.

Jamie pulled the car into the small car park. There were three other cars dotted about. Sammy unbuckled Henry’s belt as Jamie opened the door.

‘Need a wee now,’ said Henry with a little more urgency.

‘The toilets are just there,’ said Jamie, taking his son's hand. 

As Sammy climbed out of the other side of the car, he watched his mate and his son walk quickly towards the block of toilets. Henry was holding his crotch and slightly pulling at Jamie’s hand. Jamie matched the little boy's pace easily. Sammy felt a swell of pride at how easily Jamie had adapted to dealing with the boy. 

They had not known what it would feel like to be reunited with their son. Sammy loved the feeling of completeness having the little boy back had brought to him. He suspected Jamie was feeling the same. 

He wandered towards the field, a large open space where football or other sport could be played by women or Alphas and a trim trail around the edge. A couple of Alphas were doing pull-ups on the other side of the field, their toned bodies flexing easily. A woman was walking her dog, throwing a ball for the shaggy dog to retrieve. 

Henry’s small hand slid into his. Sammy smiled; his son clearly felt at ease with him. 

‘Shall we walk around the field?’ asked Sammy.

Henry nodded. 

They walked, hand in hand towards the playing field. Henry stopped and stared at the women and her dog. He moved closer to Sammy.

‘It’s alright Henry,’ said Sammy, realising his son was probably scared of the woman. ‘She’s all the way over there. She won’t come near you, we’ll make sure.’

The woman and her dog were leaving the park by a gap in the hedge on the other side of the park, they watched her slipping the dogs lead on as she went.

‘Do women scare you, Henry?’ asked Jamie.

Henry shook his head, ‘don’t know.’

Jamie looked at Sammy, ‘it’s going to be interesting when we introduce him to Meg.’

‘What’s a Meg?’

‘Meg is a very lovely woman who lives with us. She’s friendly. She’s not like the other women.’

Henry looked confused for a few seconds before looking at the trim trail equipment. Jamie followed his gaze and smiled.

‘Do you want to do the assault course.’

Henry looked confused again. Jamie led them over to the first item of equipment, a set of three balancing beams laid out in a zigzag, with each bar a little higher than the other. Jamie slowly walked across the three beams before jumping down at the end. Henry laughed and pulled away from Sammy’s grip, running up to the lowest bar. 

‘Carefully,’ said Sammy as Henry stepped onto the lowest bar and immediately lost his balance and jumped down giggling. 

Jamie took Henry’s hand and steadied him as he walked. His other hand hovering around Henry’s waist ready to catch him if he stumbled a second time. Sammy was content to let the two Alpha’s follow the balancing beams. Jamie helped Henry to jump down at the end. Henry moved onto the next item, a set of progressively higher hurdles.

‘You’re supposed to jump over them,’ said Jamie. ‘But I think you are too little yet.’

Fearlessly Henry approached the first hurdle. As before Jamie helped him over the obstacle. Sammy watched with a mixture of admiration and slight concern at the danger Henry was putting himself in. He had read that in other countries, where the children remained with their families it was not uncommon for the young Alpha’s to get into trouble and cause a nuisance. Sammy could see that his son was behaving as he should be, as all young Alpha’s should. And Jamie had taken the role of mentor and watcher without even realising it. 

‘How long has he been with you?’ asked one of the Alpha’s who was using the trim trail for exercise.

Sammy smiled, ‘we only picked him up a couple of hours ago.’

The Alpha smiled and watched Jamie and Henry for a few seconds.

‘I’m due to get mine back next week,’ he said. ‘I can’t wait. My Omega is very excited but scared as well.’

‘It’s a big change,’ said Sammy. ‘I’m not really sure what we’re supposed to do… although so far we seem to have just… known.’

The Alpha smiled, ‘primal stuff,’ he said. ‘Good luck.’

‘And you,’ replied Sammy.

The two Alpha’s wandered off towards the car park. Sammy returned his attention to Henry and Jamie. Jamie was watching him, his Alpha was still protecting him, despite watching over Henry as he tried to swing across some monkey bars. Jamie was holding Henry’s waist and probably taking most of his weight, although the boy did not seem to have noticed. 

Sammy wondered if they would share many happy moments. The simple visit to the park was filling Sammy with love for his mate and the little boy he had thought he would never see again. 

A~B~O


	2. Chapter 2

Meg sighed; she watched the lights on her laptop fade off before closing it up. As she reached for the case, she wondered how Jamie and Sammy were getting on. A quick glance at the clock told her that they would be on their way home with Henry. They would be there by the time she got home. 

Her day had been filled with more questions and problems than answers and solutions. 

She had been forced to request a further two junior ministers to be added to her department. The request had been agreed with the generous offer of a further two clerical staff as well. The one and only minor win for Meg in what had been a depressing day otherwise. 

She looked up as Sarah wandered in and plopped a pile of interdepartmental documents on her desk. 

‘They need signing,’ she said. ‘I looked through them, there’s nothing that can’t wait until after the weekend.’

Meg smiled, ‘I shall leave them to brighten my day on Monday then.’

Sarah chuckled, ‘unless you need me for anything else can I go? My girlfriend’s taking me out for dinner… I think she’s going to ask me to move in with her.’

‘Of course, and congratulations.’

Sarah had a beaming smile. 

Meg watched her secretary disappear. She could hear her packing up and locking the cabinets before calling out a final farewell and walking off, the heels of her shoes clacking on the polished hallway outside the office. 

With nothing further to keep her in the office, Meg began to shut down her main computer and collect the scattered bits and pieces of papers and notes that littered her desk.

‘You sloping off early like a true civil servant?’ asked Sylvie who had managed to walk right up to her desk without her noticing.

‘POETS day,’ chuckled Meg, ‘one should take the piss occasionally.’

‘There’s no other bugger here anyway,’ mused Sylvie. ‘I just went around to see old Bridger. She’d already gone, leaving her secretary to field her calls for a couple of hours.’

‘Clare Bridger isn’t really that old,’ remarked Meg as she gathered her coat and her bags. 

‘She’s older than me,’ said Sylvie as Meg drew level with her at the door. 

Sylvie did not move out of Meg’s way, instead she stepped closer. Meg could smell her friend's perfume and the spray she used on her hair. Sylvie was close enough that she only needed to lean in a couple of inches for their lips to be touching. Meg had her hands full; she could not stop the invasion of her personal space. 

‘Sylvie,’ said Meg with raised eyebrows, ‘bugger off out of the way. I’m not snogging you, here, in my office.’

Sylvie huffed out a breath, the scent of peppermint washed over Meg, ‘you know you want to.’

Meg did not respond. She was not sure what to do or say. She wanted to tell her friend that she was seeing someone else. She knew Sylvie would not mind, although she would probably want to join them. But Meg could not tell Sylvie who she was seeing. Despite Sylvie being just as progressive about male rights as Meg was, there was always the worry she would not approve of her seeing a Beta man. Meg’s relationship with Clive had to remain a secret. 

After a few seconds of staring at each other Sylvie reached up and trailed her delicate manicured fingers down Meg’s arm. She looked at her longingly for a few seconds. 

‘One day you will.’

Sylvie finally stepped back. Meg struggled not to sigh with relief as she gave her friend as friendly a glare as she could manage before walking away. 

She wondered if she could tell Sylvie about her relationship. 

As she walked along the quiet corridor, she pushed the thoughts of her pushy friend and the day's other difficulties aside. She had to think about what would happen when she got home. 

How would Henry react to meeting a woman? A woman who was not in charge of him in the same way that the managers and matrons at the home had been. Henry would not have met any progressive women. 

She hoped that she would not cause the little boy distress. 

A~B~O

‘They look like they’ve always been a family,’ said Daniel.

They watched as Henry tottered around the garden pausing to point at things. Jamie and Sammy were walking with him. 

Clive smiled, ‘he seemed OK with us. Considering how much he’s had to take in today I think he’s doing very well.’

Clive had been a little apprehensive about meeting their newest family member, they all had been. He and Daniel had watched Jamie helping Henry out of the car and seen the proud look on Sammy’s face as the little boy had held hands with them both as he walked up to the door. 

‘He was a bit wary of me,’ remarked Daniel.

‘You’re a big tall Alpha,’ Clive reminded him with a chuckle. ‘And he could probably sense that you are the primary Alpha and senior to Jamie.’

Clive gave Jamie a thumbs up when the Alpha pointed at one of the apples on the tree near the greenhouse. Jamie picked the apple and after giving it a polish on his jacket held it out to Henry who looked a little confused. 

‘Poor lads got so much to learn,’ said Daniel with a sigh. ‘Our education is so limited.’

‘At least you got some,’ Clive said ruefully, ‘Beta males don’t get any. I learned as I went when I started working.’

Daniel turned towards his daughters who were both lying side by side on a specially designed oversized cushion. Rachel was gurgling a little whilst Isabelle continued to sleep. 

‘I wonder if they will start to educate the males a bit more now. It will seem very unfair to send these two and Mary - when she joins us - off to school but not the boys.’

Clive said, ‘but the Alphas and Omegas only really have one purpose.’

‘Breeding,’ sighed Daniel. 

They heard the back door open and close. 

‘And now for Henry’s next introduction,’ said Clive as he turned to greet Meg.

Meg dropped her bags on the floor by the door and wandered across to the two men who were still standing by the double doors that led out to the patio and the garden. 

‘How’s it going so far?’ she asked. 

‘He seems quite at ease with them both. I’ve never seen either of them looking so settled and content,’ said Clive.

‘Let’s hope the next few minutes don’t spoil it all,’ said Meg.

Sammy had spotted her standing by the window, he said something to Henry who looked over. The little blond boy stepped closer to Jamie and clung onto his leg; Jamie rested a hand on his son's head. Sammy crouched in front of the boy and spoke to him again. 

Clive could feel Meg tensing up next to him, he put his arm around her and pulled her closer. It would not look odd to the others; they were a close family and often tactile with each other. Meg had been a bit standoffish to start with, as all women were, but had come to enjoy the contact.

Henry was nodding as he listened to whatever Sammy was saying to him. After a particularly enthusiastic nod, the three started to walk back to the house. Meg stepped away from the door and waited. Clive remained by her side.

Henry was wide-eyed as he stepped into the room, he was staring at Meg who was smiling back at him. Clive was impressed when Meg knelt so that she was on the little boy’s level. Sammy walked forward with Henry holding his hand. 

‘Are you Meg?’ asked Henry slowly.

Meg nodded, ‘yes, Henry, I am Meg.’

Henry pulled a face, Clive wondered what the little boy was thinking. After a few seconds, he stepped closer to Sammy and hid his face from them all. 

Sammy was about to say something, but Meg stopped him.

‘It’s alright,’ she said, ‘it’s a lot for him to take in all at once. We know it will take a bit of time. I’ll make sure I’m not alone with him until he’s comfortable.’

The others nodded. Clive could see the disappointment in Meg’s eyes, it was obvious she had hoped to at least not be a figure of fear for Henry. But she was right that Henry had been forced to deal with a lot of changes that day. Meeting a woman was probably a step too far for the little boy. 

Meg got to her feet and wandered off, collecting her bags and heading to her office. 

‘Sorry,’ said Henry quietly. ‘Scared.’

‘It’s alright Henry. She won’t hurt you. We’ll make sure of that,’ said Jamie.

One of the twins started to cry. Sammy went across to them with Henry trailing behind him. Henry watched Sammy pick Rachel up and hold her close to him cooing at the baby to calm her down. Henry pulled at Sammy’s arm.

‘No, Henry,’ said Daniel. ‘You need to be gentle with the babies.’

Henry scowled; it was the most annoyed he had looked since he had walked into his new home. 

Sammy sat on the couch and indicated for Henry to sit next to him. Henry climbed up and sat down but continued to glare at baby Rachel.

‘Don’t like it,’ he said sullenly.

‘This is your sister,’ said Sammy.

‘Sister?’

‘She’s my baby like you were my baby.’

Henry looked annoyed; they could see him becoming more upset. Jamie joined them on the couch.

‘You’ll get to help look after them,’ he said.

Henry shook his head, ‘no.’

The little boy's lip quivered as he tried not to cry. Jamie put his arm around his son and pulled him closer as he lost his battle with the tears. 

They all looked at each other.

‘I think,’ said Daniel quietly, ‘that we’ll have to watch him around the girls for a bit.’

Jamie and Sammy both nodded.

‘Remember Sammy,’ said Clive, ‘you don’t have to do this all on your own. We’ll all help you out.’

Clive had watched the expression on Sammy’s face become more worried. 

‘Once he’s learned about sharing, he’ll understand,’ said Jamie who was rocking back and forth as the little boy continued to cry as he clung onto him.

‘Do you think it’s because he’s not a twin?’ asked Sammy. 

‘Maybe,’ said Clive. ‘We’ve got a steep learning curve ourselves with all this.’

They all nodded.

A~B~O

_A couple of days later… ___

__Jamie waited patiently for Sammy to finish changing Isabelle's nappy. The baby was wriggling around and slowing Sammy down. The Omega calmly persevered until the clean nappy was snugly fitted and the babygrow buttoned up. Sammy picked up the baby and put her back in her cot next to her sleeping sister. Finally, he turned to look at Jamie who was hovering in the doorway of the twin's bedroom._ _

__‘What’s the matter?’ asked Sammy as he tucked his shirt in which had still been loose after he had undone it to feed the babies._ _

__Jamie hesitated for a few seconds looking down, he was not sure how to tell his mate the news._ _

__‘Jamie?’_ _

__‘I’ve had an email from the repatriation people,’ he said. ‘It’s about Peter and George. Well, George really.’_ _

__‘What about them?’_ _

__They had found out a couple of weeks before that Jamie’s twins with the previous Omega had both survived. Jamie had been quite overcome when he read the email telling him. The twins were born away from the family after their Omega, Liam, had been taken from them due to being ill. The whole sordid affair had left the family reeling. They had lost their Omega and had not known if the babies he was carrying at the time had lived or not._ _

__Jamie had not been expecting to be able to have the twins back for another couple of months so the email he had received that morning was a shock._ _

__‘The Omega home that George is currently in is going to close down. There’s not enough boys living there now to justify keeping it open, they’re going to turn it into a school. So, the Omega that are still there are being repatriated sooner. If they’re not repatriated, they’ll be moved to another home… It says in the email that if we’re not ready for him they’ll keep him until it would have been his and Peter’s turn… But he’ll be moved a lot further away…’_ _

__Jamie could tell Sammy was thinking through their options. He knew what his mate would say._ _

__‘When are they wanting to repatriate him? Will it be with Peter as well?’_ _

__Jamie nodded, ‘Peter will get to jump the queue as well because they’re twins. They’re closing the home next week.’_ _

__‘Next week!’_ _

__‘I know,’ said Jamie, ‘I’m as shocked as you are. We’ve only just got Henry back… but I… I don’t want George to be moved and maybe start to settle in a new home and then be moved again… Sammy, I’m really sorry.’_ _

__His mate walked up to him and slipped his arms around his waist. Jamie could instantly feel the calming influence of his Omega._ _

__‘It’s not your fault, Jamie,’ said Sammy, looking up at him. ‘We’ll just have to work through it. And you never know, it might be good for Henry. He’s still confused by a lot of things, having his half-brothers around could help. He would have been mixing with Alpha’s a bit older than him at his home. And, I hate to say it, but Peter and George might keep Henry distracted from his jealousy of the girls.’_ _

__Sammy glanced back at Rachel and Isabelle. They had been forced to keep a careful eye on Henry who did not like the twins monopolising Sammy’s time. As Henry was not a twin, he was a little bigger than other boys his age and was quite boisterous around the babies. They knew he was trying to exert his authority and did not understand that he had to be gentle with the babies. The family had spent a lot of time reading up on how children behaved around each other and were getting help and advice on various online forums from other families who were going through the same teething problems with their children._ _

__‘So, you don’t mind?’ asked Jamie who was still worried that Sammy was only agreeing because he thought he should._ _

__‘Jamie,’ said Sammy firmly. ‘I know that you are all helping with the children. I know I am not alone in this. I know that you are worried because Peter and George are not my children. But I do not want to see George being moved for a few weeks and then being collected after getting resettled. Let’s get them now, get them where they belong, with their Alpha and a family that will love them and care for them.’_ _

__Jamie sniffed; he had not realised how worked up he had become. Sammy leaned up and kissed him, holding him close for several seconds._ _

__‘When can you get them?’_ _

__‘The email said that all the children that are being collected because of the closure - the Alpha, Beta and female twins as well - are going to be at the Omega home on Friday and we can go and pick them up then.’_ _

__Sammy nodded, ‘do you mind if I don’t go with you? I think it might be too much for Henry if his Omega goes off and collects two more boys. It might help him to start to understand the way the family works.’_ _

__‘I’ll ask Clive if he’ll go,’ said Jamie. ‘I think that’s a good idea. I wonder how they’ll react when they find out they don’t have an Omega anymore?’_ _

__Sammy shrugged, ‘we can only hope they’ll accept me as a substitute.’_ _

__Jamie smiled, ‘they will.’_ _

__It was Jamie’s turn to offer reassurance to his mate. He pulled Sammy in close and held him. His worry about Sammy’s reaction to the news they would be getting the twin boys sooner than they had anticipated faded away. He knew he had been wrong to worry how his mate would react. Of course, Sammy would not want to see the boys suffer._ _

__Sammy pushed away from him; his expression thoughtful._ _

__‘We’d best get their room sorted. I know that Daniel wanted to paint the rooms upstairs before we got the rest of the boys, but I don’t think we’ll have time now.’_ _

__‘He’d actually set that as a task for me to do. I was going to start on it tomorrow after we’d been to the wholesaler for the first lot of materials for the cottage renovation.’_ _

__Sammy smiled, ‘not sure when we’re going to find time to ourselves for a bit now.’_ _

__Jamie laughed, ‘I don’t care, getting them all back is worth it.’_ _

__A~B~O_ _

__Meg pressed send and watched the email disappear. Another reply to another minister who had come up with another problem. She was glad she had a good, and loyal, team around her. They were having regular meetings and brainstorming sessions coming up with solutions to problems they had not envisioned._ _

__A smile played across her lips as she thought about the video call, she and her senior aides had taken part in with a couple of their equivalents in Italy. The friendly women with their accented English had told them they were doing a good job and were only facing the same problems they had when their country had seen the benefits of not taking the children away from the Omega and Alpha parents._ _

__They were making big sweeping changes, but Meg knew it was for the best and she knew that even some of the staider conservative ministers were starting to come around to the idea._ _

__She looked out of the window. Her home office still needed a little work, but she was very pleased with it. Daniel had promised to sort her out with some more shelving and an electrician had been booked to visit the next week. The view from the window was lovely. The front of the house, where her office was, looked out over a large paddock. Beyond the paddock she could see gently rolling farmland, in the distance she could make out some horses standing together, sheltering under a tree from the rain. Even the dismal weather could not detract from the view._ _

__Meg became aware that she was being watched. She did not turn towards the door as she did not want her watcher to know that she knew he was there. Glancing at a glass-fronted picture on the wall she could see Henry peeping around the door frame in the reflection._ _

__Slowly she pulled a few sheets of printer paper from the tray and gathered the highlighters and marker pens that were in the top drawer of her desk. She put them on the desk as far away from her as she could. Meg hoped Henry would understand the invitation._ _

__The little boy had spent most of his time, when he was not glaring at the babies, glaring at her. His distrust of women had been worrisome. But, over the previous couple of days, they had noticed a slight change in Henry’s attitude towards her. All the men had made an exaggerated effort to interact with Meg so show Henry that he did not need to be afraid of her. She, in turn, had not tried to approach Henry again instead giving him as much space as possible._ _

__The lure of the paper and pens was too much for Henry who had already had to be told firmly not to draw on the walls. He crept into the office and climbed onto the chair that stood next to the desk. Meg could see him in the reflection watching her, she continued to ignore him. She pretended to do some typing but kept watching the little Alpha as he tried to pull one of the lids off a marker pen. When it became obvious his little hands did not have the strength Meg slowly turned around and held out her hand. Henry stared at her for a few seconds before giving her the pen. She pulled the lid loose then offered it back to him. He was still looking at her warily, but he took the pen. Slowly Meg loosened all the lids before turning back to her own work. She could not help smiling when she heard the sound of Henry drawing behind her._ _

__She knew it was a significant step in their relationship, Meg was determined to make Henry feel welcome._ _

__When a piece of paper was slid towards her, she turned back to Henry, who was standing on the chair leaning forward, his hand still on the paper. He had a slight smile. Meg smiled back._ _

__‘Is that for me?’ she asked._ _

__Henry nodded, ‘present,’ he said._ _

__‘Thank you.’_ _

__She took the paper and looked at it, appraising it. After a few seconds, she opened her desk draw and pulled out some drawing pins._ _

__‘Where shall I put it?’ she asked._ _

__She pointed at the large corkboard that Daniel had put up the previous day. The corkboard was still bare. Henry pointed at a spot near the middle. Meg nodded, she pinned the drawing up and stood back to look at it. Henry, who was still standing on the chair, nodded his approval._ _

__‘Perhaps you could do one for my office in London.’_ _

__‘London?’_ _

__‘Where I work when I’m not here,’ Meg said._ _

__Henry thought about the proposal for a few seconds before nodding with a smile. He knelt on the chair and got to work on his second picture._ _

__Meg looked up to find Sammy stood in the doorway watching them. Meg shrugged and smiled. Sammy smiled back and gestured if she would like a drink. Meg nodded. Sammy slipped away leaving Henry busy with his drawing._ _

__A~B~O_ _


	3. Chapter 3

‘The children have been allowed to interact,’ said the woman who was looking at them both over her glasses. ‘There are some psychologists who wanted to observe.’

Jamie bristled, he did not like the idea of his children, or any children being put into situations they might not be ready for so that women could observe them. He felt Clive’s hand on his arm pulling him back slightly. The woman did not seem to have noticed the move. She was tapping at her computer. 

‘Which are yours?’ she asked, looking at Clive.

Clive shook his head and nodded to Jamie. The woman looked confused.

‘Their Omega died,’ said Jamie. ‘Clive’s just come to help me take them home.’

‘You’re his Omega now?’ inquired the woman.

Jamie hated the look on Clive’s face as he quietly told the woman he was not and that he was a Beta. The change in the woman was instant. She practically turned her back on Clive. She did not acknowledge him any further. All her questions were directed at Jamie.

‘You understand that you didn’t have to collect them yet?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ said Jamie. ‘But I didn’t like the idea of George being taken further away.’

‘You understand that you don’t need to collect them at all? They could remain safely in homes allowing you and your actual Omega to concentrate on your duties to breed.’

The woman’s disparaging tone was something Jamie was getting used to. Since the new legislation had been passed the ultra-conservative women had become even more derogatory towards the male sexes. 

‘We want the children back. We are prepared for them.’

‘With money she got from selling her story,’ said the woman. 

It had not taken the manager of the Omega home long to work out that Jamie and Clive lived with Meg. They knew that despite Meg giving most of the money she had earned from the press interviews to charity, some women thought she had used the money for her own gain. Jamie ignored the remark and picked up the pen to sign the release form. 

‘They are through the doors at the end. They have been labelled so you will know which ones are yours.’

The woman waved them away as she slipped her copy of the form into a folder. 

As they walked along the corridor Jamie had to take a few breaths to calm himself, he did not want to be worked up when he met his sons. 

‘Labelled,’ said Clive with a shake of his head. ‘We really are commodities to some of them, aren’t we?’

‘But not all women are the same,’ replied Jamie, ‘we have to remember that a fair few are on our side.’

A slightly plump older Omega was sat at a desk by the doors. He smiled as they approached. 

‘Who have you come for?’ he asked. 

‘George and Peter.’

The Omega smiled again, ‘George is a lovely little lad.’

The Omega flicked through a pile of folders before pulling two out.

‘I’ve not had time to look at Peter’s paperwork, but I don’t think there’s anything out of the ordinary. Their bags will be on a table to the left as you go in.’

He handed the folders to Clive.

‘Just ignore the women,’ continued the Omega. ‘The children are all playing. They’ve mingled well. It was lovely to watch the separated twins all finding each other. They are all young enough that the links between them are all still strong. Even the females found their twins easily.’

Jamie looked at the door for a few seconds readying himself.

‘You’ll be fine,’ said the Omega.

Jamie nodded and pulled the door open.

The large room, which looked like it might be a dining hall, had been cleared of most of the furniture. A few chairs and benches were arranged along one wall. The psychologists were sitting in one corner watching the children carefully, a couple of video cameras had been set up recording their activity. 

Jamie followed the Omega’s advice and ignored the women. Once he had his boys, he could leave the women and their observations behind. 

The children were spread across the room. Some had formed up into small groups whilst others just sat in pairs. Two other parents were tearfully talking to their children on the other side of the room.

Jamie felt Clive nudge him, he looked in the direction the Beta was looking. 

The now-familiar feeling washed over him, although it was more intense. He realised when he had been introduced to Henry, he had only been dealing with one child. Now he was meeting two. His sons. 

The two boys were standing several yards away. It did not take any effort to tell which was which. Peter, the Alpha, was a little taller than his Omega brother. Even at four and a half, the differences in their sexes were starting to show. George looked quite apprehensive; he was standing slightly behind his brother. Or, had Peter put himself in front in an unconscious move to protect his more vulnerable brother. 

They were both wearing similar dungarees to the ones Henry had been wearing when they had picked him up. George had a light green polo shirt, while Peter’s was dark green.

Clive gave Jamie a slight shove. He walked up to the boys, stopping a few feet away.

The two boys looked up at him for a few seconds before looking at Clive. 

‘You’re not our Omega,’ said Peter before looking back at Jamie. ‘But you are our Alpha.’

Jamie managed a nod. He crouched down.

‘I’m Jamie,’ he said.

Peter nodded slowly, ‘I’m Peter.’

George stepped forward slightly, Jamie realised he was holding hands with his brother.

‘I’m George,’ he said, his voice almost a whisper. 

The brown-haired boys continued to look at Jamie who was not sure what he should do.

‘Are we going to live with you?’ asked Peter.

Jamie nodded.

‘Both of us?’

Jamie nodded again.

George looked relieved. Peter took a small step forward.

‘Where’s our Omega? The others have got Omegas. I want mine.’

The boys were old enough to properly understand the concept of parents. Jamie remembered it being a strange thing to learn when he had been in the home. None of the other boys had believed where they had come from. None of them could remember their parents. 

‘Your Omega… he died when you were babies,’ said Jamie, deciding to be honest with his sons from the start. 

The boys did not react, Jamie guessed they as they had never known Liam it was difficult for them to understand the loss his death was.

‘Do you live with a Beta then?’

The boys would have learned about the sexes. The need to breed was instilled in them from an early age. As soon as they were able to understand things the women started their education, their limited education. Jamie knew the boys would not understand the mechanics of how babies were made but they would know that Alphas and Omegas were important. And they would now that Beta males were rare and not important. 

‘This is Clive, we live together. There’s also another Alpha and an Omega.’

George stepped out from beside his brother, ‘is there a woman as well?’

Jamie was amazed at the boy's ability to pick up on scents. He knew that the male sexes were able to detect things that women could not, but it still surprised him.

‘We do live with a woman, but she is very friendly. She is not in charge of us, she is part of the family.’

The boys looked at each other, Peter whispered into George’s ear, the Omega nodded. 

‘Can we share a bedroom?’ asked Peter.

Jamie smiled, ‘yes, you will be sharing a bedroom. You have a room at the top of the house. There are two rooms up there. The other room will be for my other sons. Henry, who’s already arrived, he’s a bit younger than you and Brian.’

‘Henry’s an Alpha,’ said George who seemed to be growing in confidence as the conversation continued. 

Jamie nodded, ‘and Brian is a Beta.’

‘What are your babies called?’ George asked.

Jamie guessed George was probably more in tune with the scents when it came to babies than Peter might be.

‘Rachel and Isabelle, they are only a few months old.’

George whispered something to Peter who nodded. 

George took another small step forward, ‘will your Omega like us?’

Jamie smiled and nodded, ‘yes he will. You will be part of the family. All of us together.’

The boys looked at each other again and nodded.

‘OK,’ said Peter. 

A~B~O

‘Don’t want brothers.’

‘You don’t have a choice Henry,’ said Sammy with a smile. ‘You’ll be able to play with them.’

Henry continued to pout, kicking his legs into the sofa. The boy had listened with increasing agitation as Sammy and Meg had explained where Jamie and Clive had gone. Henry had been in Meg’s office again when he saw Jamie and Clive driving away. Meg had brought the little boy out to Sammy when he started to ask lots of questions.

Daniel had put the babies into their pram a few minutes before and after covering them up against the cool weather, took them out. Sammy was grateful to his mate. They knew the girls would not know any different as their family grew, but Henry had much more understanding of what was going on. The young Alpha was about to have two slightly older boys joining him. 

They had explained as simply as they could, Henry seemed to understand, but was not particularly happy about the new arrivals. 

Sammy worried that his son would not be able to accept another big change. It had been a relief when he started to spend time with Meg. Meg had even worked from home the day before just so that Henry could spend more time with her. The little boy had spent quite a few hours helping her with her work. Meg had said she would probably have to spend a bit longer in her London office the next week to catch up, but it was worth it.

The sound of the back door being opened had Henry grabbing hold of Sammy and holding him tightly.

‘You’re my Omega,’ he said sullenly.

Sammy watched as the two new arrivals walked in. The smaller boy, who Sammy guessed was George was holding Jamie’s hand and looked quite apprehensive. Peter, who was a little taller than his brother, was holding George’s other hand. Clive was carrying their backpacks, which were similar to the one Henry had been given. 

‘Don’t want brothers,’ said Henry with a sob.

The twins looked at each other before looking back at Henry. Jamie took a few steps forward after George let his hand go. 

‘Hey, none of that,’ said Jamie softly. ‘I love you just as much.’

Henry turned away from them both and curled himself up on the sofa crying quietly. Sammy was about to pull him back towards him when Peter stepped up to the sofa.

‘Henry,’ said Peter as he tentatively reached out to his half-brother. ‘I’m Peter. I’m your brother.’

Sammy was amazed at the change in Henry. The fearful scents were replaced by curiosity. Henry sniffed a few times before looking at Peter properly.

George had been standing back a little until Peter glanced at him. The young Omega joined his brother. Henry’s anger started to dissipate. 

Sammy looked at Jamie who was just as stunned. The reassurance of the Alpha and the calming nature of the Omega had affected Henry very quickly. 

After a few seconds, the three children all looked at Meg who was watching them with a look of amazement. 

‘That’s Meg,’ said Henry. ‘She’s my friend.’

Meg smiled, Sammy could see tears in her eyes, something that rarely happened from the usually emotionless woman. Slowly George crossed to her and lay his small hand on her knee. 

‘Jamie said that you’re friendly. You don’t need to be sad.’

Meg smiled, ‘I’m not sad, George, I’m just really, really happy that you’re all getting along.’

George looked a little confused. 

‘You did this,’ said Clive to Meg. ‘You made this happen.’

Meg nodded, ‘this is what it should always have been like.’

Clive said, ‘it says in the notes about them both that George was very quiet like all Omega are and that Peter was a bit boisterous like all Alpha are. But seeing them together… George is already showing more confidence.’

‘What’s boys’ stuff?’ asked Peter as he tried to follow the conversation that the adults were having.

Jamie laughed, ‘boisterous,' he corrected, 'is when a little boy gets into a pretend fight with his mates.’

Peter looked at George, ‘I won’t pretend fight you,’ he said before turning to Henry, ‘but I might with you… but you’re a bit short still.’

Sammy was struggling not to smile too broadly as the boys' conversation continued. George was pleased he would not have to get into any pretend fights and Henry seemed happy that he might be able to when he was a little taller.

All three of the boys stopped talking at the same time that Sammy sensed Daniel and his daughters returning. Daniel pushed the pram to the side of the room and after a quick look at the girls turned to the new arrivals. 

Peter had moved to stand protectively in front of George again. Daniel knelt on the floor a few yards from them.

‘I’m Daniel,’ he said.

‘Are those your babies?’ asked George.

Sammy watched Henry pulling his usual disapproving face when the girls were mentioned.

‘Can I see them?’

Sammy climbed off the sofa and held out his hand to George who took it and followed Sammy to the pram. The young Omega peered into the pram at the sleeping babies. Sammy could sense a protectiveness from George towards the babies. He realised the Omega’s instinctive need to nurture started very young. Sammy had not been exposed to babies until he had Henry, but he had known what to do.

‘I did drawings for Meg’s office,’ announced Henry who had obviously decided that he should be the centre of attention. 

Henry jumped off the sofa and beckoned Peter to follow him. George followed the two young Alpha’s as they wandered off. 

The adults looked at each other. 

‘I can honestly say,’ said Jamie, ‘that I don’t think that could have gone any better.’

‘When I was talking to the Italian’s about all this,’ said Meg, ‘they said that the children find a pecking order and they all look out for each other. They establish themselves very quickly. They develop quickly, more so than when they were hidden away from the world in the homes.’

Sammy looked at Jamie, ‘just your eldest children to go and we’ll be a complete family,’ he said. 

Jamie smiled, ‘it’s all happening so fast,’ he said.

Meg pushed herself up from her seat, ‘I’d best check they’re not sending emails to the prime minister or getting me into any other trouble,' she said as she followed in the boy's wake.

Sammy watched the rest of the family getting on with their normal things. Clive started to tidy the room up a little, Jamie pulled out his phone to check for any messages and Daniel started to get pots and pans out to make their dinner. He liked the look of normality the scene brought. He knew life was not the same as it had been but the new normality, the one where the entire family was present was much more preferable to the old normality. 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it.   
> There will be more introductions in the next story, which will have a slightly darker tone...


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